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Google deletes 21 infected apps

Lance Whitney CNET News | March 3, 2011 4:47 AM PST

Summary

Google apparently has used a kill switch to remove 21 malware-infected apps from both its Android Market and from people's Android devices.

Calling the Trojan the "mother of all Android malware," enthusiast site Android Police said yesterday the infected apps were discovered by a Reddit user. That Reddit user found that pirated versions of legitimate apps were infected by a Trojan called DroidDream, which uses a root exploit dubbed "rageagainstthecage" to compromise a device.

This piece of malware is especially virulent because it apparently cannot only capture user and product information from a device but also has the ability to download more code capable of further damage. The 21 apps in question, all now taken down by Google but still listed by Android Police, came from a publisher named Myournet. However, mobile security vendor Lookout and other sources said yesterday that DroidDream has so far shown up in more than 50 Android apps, including ones from other publishers.

Conversation threads on Reddit suggest that Google was slow to respond to the malware discovery after the company was first alerted via official channels. But after contacting someone at Google directly, Android Police said the company responded quickly to remove the infected apps.

For more on this story, read Reports: Google yanks infected Android apps on CNET News.

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RE: Google deletes 21 infected apps
YetAnotherBob 4th Mar 2011
@trust2112@...

Google didn't write these applications. You are misinformed.
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100 times better than M$
Linux Geek 3rd Mar 2011
can M$ clean up infected files...NO!
Google wins!
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Google fails.
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This has nothing to do with Microsoft
Michael Alan Goff 3rd Mar 2011
Linux Geek fail.
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lol..
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Okay, yeah, I can't argue that
Michael Alan Goff 3rd Mar 2011
And I do applaud Google for doing this.
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RE: Google deletes 21 infected apps
jlt0x Updated - 3rd Mar 2011
A few weeks ago, a tech blogger almost totally dismissed the idea of smartphone viruses --- calling them pointless, non-threats. But with so many available applications that involve personal & financial information transactions, this market for malware seems limitless for the scammer/hacker types.

ID theft, stolen bank accounts --- you got an app for that?! No one OS is safe.
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D'OH!
Pete "athynz" Athens 3rd Mar 2011
@Linux Geek WP7 has NO infected files. Android does! Android and Linux FAIL! And weren't you one of those who had staked their reputations saying something like this could NEVER happen with Android? Again, FAIL!
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RE: Google deletes 21 infected apps
cmwade1977 3rd Mar 2011
@athynz WP7 has no infected files....YET
The reason for this is much the same as why Mac OS X hasn't had any real viruses or malware until recently, the market share is too low to make it profitable, IF more people buy WP7 (unlikely in my opinion), there will be more out there. We are seeing this with OS X, now that it's market share has been increasing, more people are targeting it, WP7 is no different.
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WP7 should be careful
Michael Alan Goff 3rd Mar 2011
And they should learn from this. If they don't, they will die a sad death.
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@sdghjyky
same exact mnessage on another item (3 T Drive) and was identified as SPAM.
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RE: Google deletes 21 infected apps
alsobannedfromzdnet 3rd Mar 2011
So what right has Google got to disable YOUR applications YOU installed on YOUR device?

Will Google give you back a cleaned up version of the application you downloaded from their store to replace the one they killed?
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Probably not
Michael Alan Goff 3rd Mar 2011
@alsobannedfromzdnet

I'd just be happy about the quality control.
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RE: Google deletes 21 infected apps
windozefreak 3rd Mar 2011
Anybody noticed that Donnieboy is absent fro this post? Donnie, where you at???
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Lets try this:
Will Farrell 3rd Mar 2011
@windozefreak
Donnieboy, I here Google deletes 21 infected apps

I guess thats why I cant find Chrome in the marketplace anymore!

(lets see if that draws him out!)
your market place or app store has some value, doh! How wonderful it will be for the average Joe to infect his smartphone through the Google Market Place!
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RE: Google deletes 21 infected apps
mpaint@... 3rd Mar 2011
How quickly things change, just last week it was: If you get your android apps from the Google Market Place you were safe...
Just this week, no one is safe.
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RE: Google deletes 21 infected apps
trust2112@... 3rd Mar 2011
Whatever happened to quality control? Should Google be testing these apps BEFORE putting them on the market? Ohh wait, that might screw up the PROFITS. Bad google, you're being EVIL.
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RE: Google deletes 21 infected apps
YetAnotherBob 4th Mar 2011
@trust2112@...

Google didn't write these applications. You are misinformed.
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RE: Google deletes 21 infected apps
rhunt56@... 3rd Mar 2011
where is the list of the infected apps?
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Del from Market and Device?
StoneMonk 3rd Mar 2011
Did Google just del these apps from the Market, or where they able to remove them from infected devices too?
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RE: Google deletes 21 infected apps
JonathanPDX 3rd Mar 2011
21 Apps! Why, that's like their entire inventory, isn't it?
wink
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RE: Google deletes 21 infected apps
hiraghm@... 3rd Mar 2011
Yea, for taking malware off Android Market.

Big, major, ugly honking BOO for taking malware off individual machines, without permission.

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